What to wear to dance Argentine tango? This is a question we often hear from beginners at Tango E14. So, please take to heart here some well meant advice to give you a place to start. To begin with it is not a must to buy dance shoes however it is highly recommendable if you are continuing with classes and thinking of going to milongas.

Four main points:

1. Shoes that are comfortable, fit properly, and most importantly have a smooth sole on the front of the shoe that allows you to pivot on the front part of your foot. This applies to the shoes of both the leader and follower. The heel can quite usefully have a rubber sole which then allows one to stop exactly when, where and how you want to. Some ballroom dancing includes a ‘heel turn’. We don’t usually do heel turns in Argentine tango, but if you want to be able to do them, then a hard leather sole under the heel might be useful. That can be a wee bit more precarious for a regular dancer. So the simple recommendation is to have a smooth sole under the front of the shoe that allows easy pivoting, and a hard rubber heel that helps you to stop and not slide. High heels? If you are comfortable with them then yes, but they are not absolutely essential. They add a look of elegance and glamour, as well as giving the wearer a ‘longer’ leg. This is more important for show tango, but not essential for social tango.
2. Clothes that are comfortable, fit sensibly, and do not restrict or interfere with the movements of the dancer, or the partner, or anyone else. We advise against very tight skirts, trousers or anything that impedes natural free flowing movement. We also advise against very bulky, large, wide or heavy clothes or hats that interfere or restrict movement. You may have noticed that traditional Argentine Gaucho trousers are very baggy in the crutch, which allows for comfort while riding a horse. They also are close fitting around the ankle. So they were very practical for stock work, and OK for Tango, but not absolutely essential.
3. Jewellery and other physical adornments or additions are best avoided and saved for other non dancing occasions. Such things can catch on one’s partner’s clothes, or someone else. They might even cause injury, but can easily become an interruption or a nuisance. Small earrings or a small necklace probably won’t cause much problem, but even they can catch or be of minor discomfort in a close embrace.
4. Cleanliness. Have a shower and put on clean clothes when you go to dance with others in a close embrace. We are sure you appreciate that with your partners.